Taiwan Novel Network is super practical and easy to read
Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grave as he set down the intelligence report and said, "Five Wandering Samurai, all died in extremely similar ways—"
"There is no doubt that this is a special type of Curse Jutsu that can kill from a distance."
Masahiko said solemnly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "This type of Curse Jutsu definitely requires a medium; it's impossible for it to be activated for no reason—"
"There must be clues on the bodies."
"Senior Kakashi has gone there; he should be able to find something,"
Masahiko said.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
That was one of the reasons he had sent Kakashi.
He looked at the scroll in his hand, a look of difficulty momentarily appearing on his face as he said, "I still feel like the handwriting on this is very familiar, but I just can't remember whose it is."
"If it's familiar but you don't remember, it shouldn't be the handwriting from the documents you see frequently. You should have seen it only a few times, yet enough to recognize it—"
Masahiko paused slightly, "That person should be quite important to you."
"Mm."
Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed the bridge of his nose.
For such a person, he completely failed to think of who it could be—
"Maybe I really am getting old!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone carried a hint of age and helplessness.
"Please don't say that. Your current age is exactly when you should be shining for Konoha. Konoha cannot do without you!"
"You brat—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle, then waved his hand, "I can still hold on for a few more years to safeguard the next generation like you."
Afterward, he rubbed his temples.
"Go and rest. I'm going to take a nap in the lounge here as well."
"Then I'll rest in the Jonin standby room. If anything happens, I can get here at any time,"
Masahiko said.
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly taken aback, then nodded with a complex expression.
Only after Masahiko had gone to the adjacent Jonin standby room did he sigh softly: "Masahiko... why couldn't you have come ten years earlier?"
If it had been ten years earlier, he would have had the confidence to personally educate and guide Masahiko.
As he reached over sixty, the Sannin had left Konoha one after another, and internal affairs within Konoha were becoming more numerous; he no longer had that kind of energy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed melancholically and went to the secret room next door to fall into a deep sleep.
Jonin standby room.
Masahiko entered the Training Space to continue researching his sound-based Genjutsu.
The Demonic Illusion: Sound Lock had immense potential.
He had to master it!
However.
While training, Masahiko was also thinking about how to utilize his current information advantage and the move he had already made.
Imitating Naruto's handwriting had been a sudden inspiration at the time, when he only had a vague idea.
Now, after careful contemplation and refinement, Masahiko had a complete and feasible plan.
If he went now, it might still be in time.
Kyoto, Daimyos Estate.
Looking at the corpse, Kakashi scratched his hair.
"Senior, a whole night has passed. Have you still not discovered anything?"
"Nothing at all."
—
Kakashi said in a low voice.
He looked around and said, "Homura, has your Byakugan found nothing?"
"Nothing either,"
Homura said helplessly.
There were two corpses here; the second corpse had only one wound, and it didn't look like a fatal one, yet the person had died from a ruptured heart.
It was too bizarre.
Kakashi thought for a long time before returning to the previous corpse, crouching down to search carefully.
He looked up.
Beside him, Touma's expression was dim.
For a moment, Kakashi didn't know whether he should speak.
Right at that moment—
"Senior, look out!"
Hyuga Homura stood up, his Byakugan activated, his palm aimed in the direction from which a Kunai was flying.
Just as he was about to use Chakra to block it, in the next second, he saw that there seemed to be a slip of paper tied to the Kunai.
There was writing on the paper, rather than the formula for an explosive tag.
Homura was somewhat surprised; he quickly shifted his movement, avoiding the Kunai's line of attack and grabbing it.
At the same time, he expanded the visual range of his Byakugan.
With one sweep, there were no suspicious individuals.
How could that be?
Hyuga Homura frowned, then handed the paper to Kakashi: "Senior, take a look."
"Mm—"
Kakashi took it, and as he read, his expression became serious.
The words on it were very simple: 'Blood, wound, be careful—'
Wound?
Be careful of what?
Why was the rest blank?
Was it finished, or was there some text not written?
Kakashi picked up the paper, carefully comparing and inspecting it to ensure there were no traces of Ninjutsu left behind. Only then did he look at Xidu's corpse and crouch down to begin searching.
"Lord Kakashi, have you found anything?"
Touma noticed the movement.
Kakashi gave a brief response but didn't answer. After searching for a bit, he said, "I have some suspicions right now, and I might need to undo the clothes, so—"
"Yes, I will wait outside."
Although Touma was in low spirits, she did not make things difficult.
A moment later, Kakashi's voice came from inside: "Come in."
Touma walked in: "What did you find?"
"Look."
Kakashi pointed at Xidu's abdomen.
Touma looked down.
A tiny red dot. If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice such a minute wound at all, especially in an area like the abdomen.
She frowned.
"Such a small wound—"
"The medium for the Curse Jutsu should be blood. He uses this method to take blood, after which he can perform the technique,"
Kakashi answered.
Touma's eyes widened slightly, and she said, "Right, Nango said he heard a strange laughter, which is why he chased after him!"
"Then that's it."
Kakashi stood up, "He won't be very tall, perhaps not very old, which is why Xidu wouldn't have been on guard."
He looked at Touma.
"Specifically, we may have to wait for the Yamanaka Clan Ninjas to arrive. They should be able to extract some intelligence from the corpses."
"I'm troubling you!"
Touma bowed slightly.
Kakashi nodded slightly, somewhat preoccupied.
They were relatively close to Kyoto and had rushed over from the border.
The Yamanaka Clan and the Anbu needed to set out from Konoha, which would take more than half a day, but they should be arriving soon this morning.
Compared to that—
He was more concerned about who the person who gave him the information was.
What was their purpose?
There was no text after 'be careful'—
Kakashi didn't quite understand. The other party felt inexplicably like a riddle-maker, which made him incredibly frustrated.
He sighed speechlessly.
I hate riddle-makers!
Forget it, I'll send it back to Konoha and let Hokage-sama take a look.
Konoha, Hokage Building.
Masahiko held the documents and papers in his hand and quickly knocked on the door to enter.
"Hokage-sama, another one with the same handwriting has been sent from Kyoto—"
"Let me see!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately stood up. After taking it and looking closely, he scanned it and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, it's this—"
Handwriting!"
Masahiko recounted the general situation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and said, "You say, after this 'be careful', could there be more that wasn't finished?"
"This—your subordinate finds it difficult to answer,"
Masahiko shook his head, "You should look at the other part; your subordinate believes the rest is more important."
"Mm."
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the others.
However, his eyes gradually widened.
A Curse Jutsu using blood as a medium—
In the next second, Hiruzen Sarutobi's shock was uncontrollable. Fortunately, only he and Masahiko were in the office.
Even so—
Masahiko also quickly leaned in.
On it was a report from a Yamanaka Clan Ninja who, by scouring the memories of surrounding ronin and samurai, had found related clues.
Although no one had seen the true face of the person who threw the Kunai, it was certain that the person had yellow hair.
"Yellow hair, related to Konoha, and someone you are familiar with—"
Masahiko's "imagination ran wild," "Could it be that the Fourth Hokage didn't die?"
"What nonsense are you talking?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at him, "Could I possibly not recognize Minato's handwriting?"
He took a deep breath, looking at the slip of paper in his hand.
"I remember now, this is Naruto's handwriting. Little Naruto doesn't study seriously; his writing is like it's flying!"
>